Cruise trends and launches anticipated in 2011

Ships promise new entertainment and cuisine; extended river cruises planned

The coming year will see the launch of many new cruise vessels, the “top15” of which are listed by Cruise Critic. Several trends in new-builds are clear too. “If 2010 was the year of Norwegian Epic and Allure of the Seas, 2011’s marquee debut (…) is Disney Dream, the first launch from the Mouse in more than a decade,” the website reads. The 2,500-passenger Disney Dream is expensive to travel on compared to most other mainstream ships, but it has much to attract passengers, especially families.

An ‘AquaDuck watercoaster’ will become the industry’s biggest and most innovative waterslide. There’s also a French restaurant inspired by the hit film “Ratatouille”, lots of signature shows and art that interacts with you as you pass by. Second on the list is the 1,252-passenger Marina, the first-ever new-build from the “luxe-lite” line Oceania Cruises. It wins culinary points with Jacques, a French restaurant run by celebrity chef Jacques Pepin.

Trends to watch for in the cruise industry include a boom in river-ship new-builds. Five of these new vessels will sail the Danube and the Rhine and another will tackle the Mekong. One more will be stationed on the Douro River, a historic waterway that flows through Spain and Portugal’s wine regions.